


Okujima Week 2019

by RookieSand



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, First Date, First Kiss, Fluffy, Hurt/Comfort, just know that they show up here and there, not tagging all the phantom thieves, okujima week, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-09-27 08:46:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RookieSand/pseuds/RookieSand
Summary: Okujima Week 2019 to start my year off right with fluffy ship stuff. Plus, it's a good ship and I'm here for it.Prompts were made by Mintie-x on tumblr!Soft/FluffyHurt/ComfortMetaverseAU of ChoiceCoffee(First) DateFree For All





	1. After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru crossed the room almost in a skip. Her large pink skirt flowed around her, accentuating all of her movements. Instead of sitting in the seat that Makoto had indicated for her, she chose to sit on top of the desk directly next to Makoto. She leaned her elbow on her leg and her head in her hand, bringing her closer to eye level with Makoto. “Hello,” she said in a quiet voice.
> 
> “Do you want to have a sleepover?” Haru asked.

The student council room was incredibly quiet, the only sound being that of cicadas ringing in the trees outside. The air was stagnant and almost uncomfortably warm. Summer had set in quick. As the sun sank lower over the horizon, it set the room ablaze in orange and red and bathed the one occupant in its light.

Makoto sat in one of the chairs biting the end of a pencil. Student council had technically not ended yet, although she’d already sent home the rest of the members. It was close to exam time and she figured they were going to want to study as much as they could—or at the very least, they should want to study. Makoto was now just waiting for the rest of the time to pass while she did Sudoku puzzles. She’d already finished up all of her work and studying didn’t sound appealing at the moment. She had only stayed behind on the off chance that someone would need the student council for something, which was rare in and of itself.

There was a soft knock on the door and Makoto startled, her pencil falling out of her hand. She hadn’t actually expected someone coming by and couldn’t even begin to guess who it would be. She straightened herself out again and called out, “Come in.”

In walked Makoto’s fluffy-haired classmate, Haru Okumura. She had a bright smile on her round face as she entered the room. Makoto’s heart skipped a beat upon seeing her, her own face breaking into a small smile. She hadn’t seen Haru in two weeks since Haru had gone on a trip with her father for business and pleasure. She hadn’t even been at school earlier that day and was currently out of uniform. Now, there she was, standing in the room, bathed golden in the sunlight, and looking almost like a goddess that Makoto could only fathom seeing in the Metaverse.

“Good afternoon, Mako-chan,” Haru said as she pushed the door closed and leaned against it. “Do you have a moment?”

Makoto nodded. “Of course. Please, have a seat.” She gestured to the seat at the desk across from her.

Haru crossed the room almost in a skip. Her large pink skirt flowed around her, accentuating all of her movements. Instead of sitting in the seat that Makoto had indicated for her, she chose to sit on top of the desk directly next to Makoto. She leaned her elbow on her leg and her head in her hand, bringing her closer to eye level with Makoto. “Hello,” she said in a quiet voice.

Makoto nearly shivered. She’d missed Haru’s voice more than she thought she would’ve. She silently sent up a prayer to whatever gods were out there listening that she wasn’t blushing or, even if she was blushing, that Haru couldn’t tell. She was trying to physically control her breathing. “Hel-lo,” she responded. Her voice came out even enough and she felt a wave of relief.

“Do you want to have a sleepover?” Haru asked.

“A what?” Makoto blurted out before she could stop herself. She sat back with wide eyes wondering how Haru would react to that little outburst.

Haru straightened up and adjusted her skirt. “I was thinking… Well, we’ve been friends since the beginning of second-year when we were in the same class, as you know. You’ve never invited me into your room. I thought that you would like to have a sleepover.” Haru paused and glanced over at Makoto. “I suppose this is sudden. I’m sorry.”

Makoto took a moment to process that. The only reason she’d never invited Haru to her room was because she didn’t feel she could trust herself not to shut down completely—or at the very least blurt out she loved her—if they were alone together in that situation. Well, that and the fact that Makoto’s older sister wasn’t exactly the easiest person to get along with. Makoto tried to not subject her friends to that—all one of them. Now, she had a completely different problem. Haru wanted to visit her room. And she wanted to spend the night.

“Um,” Makoto murmured while her mind tried to catch up with the conversation. She really wanted to spend time with Haru to make up for the two weeks she’d lost. At the same time, she wasn’t sure her sister would allow it. “I’d love to,” she said weakly.

“I hear a ‘but’ in that statement.” Haru looked down at her hands folded neatly in her lap.

“But… I don’t know how Sis would like it if I didn’t tell her you were coming.” Makoto rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “I’m sorry.”

“Could you ask her and see if it’s okay?”

Makoto blinked in surprise. She hadn’t even considered actually asking if Haru could come over. “Oh, um, I can…” With only a little hesitation, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a short message to her sister.

Silence fell over the two as they waited for the response. Makoto’s sweaty hands gripped the edge of her skirt. What was Sae going to say? Makoto was going to be incredibly disappointed with either answer. She glanced over at Haru and tried not to stare.

Haru had leaned her hands back on the desk behind her. Her legs were crossed and her chin was resting against her chest. The falling sunlight was casting long shadows over her face. Makoto couldn’t help but think she looked rather tired and unladylike. Of course, that was the version of Haru that Makoto knew best. Whenever Haru was around her, she would drop all her façades and some of her politeness to adopt a more relaxed persona. Makoto had only seen her around her father a handful of times and she almost couldn’t recognize Haru as the same girl. Makoto took some comfort in the fact that Haru trusted her enough to let her real self out.

Makoto’s phone buzzed and she picked it up quickly. It was a short response. _Sure. Won’t be home for dinner_. Makoto pocketed her phone again.

“I have to put the student council key away, but then we can go,” Makoto said as a way to communicate that the sleepover was on.

“We’re going?!” Haru said, lighting up again. “Your sister said yes?”

Makoto nodded as she stood up and started to gather her things. “We can head towards your house so you can gather your—”

“Not necessary,” Haru said cutting her off. “I already have all my things packed and ready.” She stood up from the desk and picked up her bag from the floor. Makoto hadn’t paid it much attention when Haru had entered the room as she was too overwhelmed by Haru to notice. Now that it had been pointed out to her, she realized that it wasn’t a Shujin bag, although it looked vaguely similar in shape and size.

“Were you that sure that I would say yes to a sleepover?” Makoto asked with her eyebrows raised.

Haru folded her hands behind her back and looked away sheepishly. “You do rarely say no to me. I thought my chances were pretty high.”

Makoto felt her face flush. Did Haru really have that much sway over her? “Well, let’s get going then.” Makoto grabbed her bag and started out of the room.

Haru skipped after her. She seemed to be in a very cheery mood. Makoto was almost jealous.

Makoto held tight to her bag as they walked. She wasn’t sure what they would do now that they were going to be in her bedroom. It wasn’t like she had anything to do or even sleepover knowledge; unless, of course, Haru wanted to read some dense law books or something. Makoto hadn’t had a sleepover since she was in elementary school. Even that hadn’t gone as well as she would’ve liked.

After stopping by the faculty office to drop the student council key off, the two girls started on their way towards Makoto’s home. Makoto was getting antsier and antsier the closer they got. Her crush on Haru was exactly that, crushing. She had started to like Haru their second semester of their second year. She found Haru incredibly charming in every way possible and Haru seemed to actually enjoy her company as well.

When the realization hit her, she shoved the feelings deep inside herself. She’d already had her gay crisis in middle school so it wasn’t like she was losing sleep over liking Haru. At least, she wasn’t because she was upset for liking Haru though the thought of Haru could keep her up at night for other reasons. She didn’t want Haru to find out about her feelings because she didn't want to push those feelings onto Haru. She distanced herself from Haru a little bit making sure that the two rarely spent any real time completely alone. She had figured it would be best for both of them.

Now, the thing Makoto had been avoiding for so long had finally raised its ugly head. Not to mention that her sister wouldn’t be home with them for some time if she came home at all. She didn't want Haru in her room or sleeping so close to her. The nervousness of being so close to Haru was starting to tear up her stomach. What if Haru found out she was a lesbian? What if Haru hated her for that? What if she felt grossed out that Makoto liked her?

“Mako-chan,” Haru said gently, her voice cutting through Makoto’s thoughts like a knife.

“Hm?” Makoto asked with a glance over at Haru.

“Are we almost there?”

Makoto looked up at the current station. She sighed with relief. The next stop was theirs. She had almost thought she’d missed it while she was caught up in her thoughts. “The next one,” Makoto said. “We get off there.”

Haru nodded. “You're being awfully quiet, especially for me having come back from a trip. Is everything okay?”

Makoto nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Haru didn’t look completely sold. “If I’m being a bother, you don’t have to lie to me.”

“No, no! You’re not being a bother at all. Yes, this is short notice but I promise that I’m okay with it.”

“Alright... if you say so.”

Haru adjusted her bag on her shoulder and Makoto felt her heart sink. She wasn’t exactly sure what Haru was upset about. The sleepover was her idea. Shouldn’t she be happy that Makoto had said yes at all? Makoto could only reassure her so much that she wasn’t upset about the short notice. It wasn’t like she sounded insincere when she had said that. If Haru was going to feel like she was being a bother, then why would she even ask?

Makoto sighed inwardly. Haru was always one to worry about if she was overstepping her boundaries and being pushy with Makoto. Very awkwardly, Makoto slipped her hand into Haru's and gave it a gentle squeeze. She stared firmly forward, not wanting her cheeks to flush. “I’m not mad,” she said as quietly as she could over the noise on the train. “I could never be mad at you.”

Haru laced her fingers through Makoto’s but said nothing. Makoto dared a glance at her and saw Haru staring warmly at their hands. Makoto looked away quickly. The idea that maybe this was what Haru was fishing for popped into her mind. Makoto couldn’t help but blush now.

“I’m home,” Makoto called into the apartment.

“Pardon the intrusion,” Haru called as well.

“Oh, um, my sister isn’t actually home,” Makoto said awkwardly. “She said she wasn’t going to be home for dinner.”

Haru blinked in surprise. “Oh, so it’s just us for dinner then?”

Makoto nodded. “Not to worry, though. I’m an excellent cook. Or we could just order take out.”

Haru smiled gently. “Either works for me. Can we go to your room now?”

Makoto nodded and started towards her bedroom. Her palms had become sweaty and her heartbeat picked up. It was finally happening. She was going to be alone with Haru in her bedroom. She swallowed hard.

Haru practically jumped into Makoto’s room. She turned a full circle, taking in the whole place. Makoto leaned against the bedroom door trying to not feel too self-conscious about how her room looked. She naturally kept it very clean, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something that was out of place to embarrass her in front of Haru.

“It’s so tidy!” Haru exclaimed. She bounced over to the bookshelves and ran her finger along the spines of the books. “So many books and they’re so studious. Wow!” She jumped to Makoto’s desk and pointed at the trophies on the high shelf. “Aikido trophies?!” She flopped onto Makoto’s bed and hugged Makoto's buchimaru-kun stuffed animal close to her chest. “And a big plush! He’s so cute!”

Makoto watched Haru trying not to gawk at her. She couldn’t believe that Haru was sitting on her bed and hugging her stuffed animal. She managed to peel herself off of the door and sit down on the floor at the table. Haru followed suit, sliding off of the bed and sitting across from her with a wide smile.

“Your room is so nice!” she beamed. “I like it in here.” She made a fake pouty face. “I wish I could’ve seen it much sooner.”

Makoto smiled awkwardly. “Uh... thanks. What would you like to do?”

Haru tapped a finger to her lip in a thoughtful gesture. “Well, we could tell each other who we like,” she mused mostly joking. She giggled. “Isn’t that something people do at sleepovers?”

Makoto reeled back, her face feeling hot. “W-Why would we do that?”

Haru raised an eyebrow and leaned forward on the table. Makoto suddenly felt like she’d overreacted. “You have a crush?! Ms. Perfect Student Council President has a crush on someone?! Well, you have to tell me who it is, Mako-chan. I’m your best friend.”

“I-I don’t,” Makoto said, leaning backward on her hands to put more distance between her and Haru. “Have a crush, that is. I-I would to-totally tell you if I did. We are best friends.”

Haru scooted around the table and Makoto scrambled backward until her back hit the bookshelf. She was cornered. Haru was on her hands and knees in front of her, her wide beautiful eyes full of curiosity. Makoto's heart was pounding in her chest and her blush went all the way to her ears. She looked away from Haru.

“You’re not really helping out your case by acting like this. Please, Mako-chan,” Haru murmured. “You always said you would tell me if it happened.”

“H-Haru… I can’t…,” Makoto choked out her voice was uneven. “You… wouldn’t like the answer.”

Haru tilted her head to the side, her fluffy hair falling into her face a bit. Makoto wanted desperately to reach out and fix it. She wanted to close the gap between the two of them. Would it be so wrong to grab Haru by the arms, pull her into her lap, and kiss her like there was no tomorrow?

“What’s wrong with who you like?” Haru asked. She sat back on her heels and Makoto felt like she could breathe again. “I promise I won’t judge you,” she added almost as an afterthought.

Makoto looked up at Haru. “I… Sh-She’s a girl…”

Haru’s face softened and she rested a hand gently on Makoto’s shoulder. “That’s alright, Mako-chan.”

"You don't think I'm gross, do you?"

Haru laughed. "Absolutely not!” She cupped Makoto’s face in her hands. “I think you’re just as cute and perfect as you always have been!”

Makoto’s heart fluttered. She desperately wanted Haru to kiss her. It would be so easy to lean in and kiss her now. Haru’s hands were so warm and soft. Makoto rested a hand over Haru’s and leaned into the touch slightly, allowing herself at least that. Even if she couldn’t have all of Haru, she could have her gentle touch at the moment.

Haru blinked in surprise. She brought her other hand up and petted Makoto on the head. Makoto melted into her touch and a knowing smile spread across Haru’s face. There was no doubt in her mind now that Makoto preferred the touch of another girl. She couldn’t imagine Makoto acting like this for any boy. She tilted Makoto’s face towards her, letting her thumb gently rub over Makoto’s cheek. Makoto’s eyes opened slightly.

“Mako-chan,” Haru practically whispered, “can I kiss you?”

Makoto’s jaw fell slightly. She stared blankly at Haru for a long moment. Maybe she just hadn’t heard that right. What if she just said yes? Her mouth moved and she thought she heard a short, “Yeah,” come out but she couldn’t be entirely sure.

Haru leaned in and her mouth gently connected with Makoto’s. Makoto’s brain short-circuited and she could only think and feel Haru. She wasn’t sure what she should do. She’d never been kissed before. Haru seemed a little more experienced and she moved almost into Makoto’s lap to kiss her from a better angle. It seemed Haru was just as hungry for this kiss as Makoto was, but neither dared to push the limit too much.

Haru pulled away first. Her eyes searched Makoto’s face frantically for any hint of anger or resentment, but Makoto could only stare back at her with a dazed expression. Haru let out a breathless laugh and her shoulders dropped.

Makoto regained some of her ability to think. “Wh-What?”

“I-I thought you might be angry with me for kissing you,” Haru murmured. She made a nervous gesture as if she was going to push her hair behind her ear. “You said you liked a girl… That didn’t mean it was me. I shouldn’t have assumed. I shouldn’t have—”

“I’m not mad,” Makoto said, grabbing Haru’s wrist to catch her attention. Her hand moved to lace their fingers together. It was the second time that day that she’d held Haru’s hand but it still made her heart pound. “I could never be mad at you.”

Haru swallowed. Her face was bright red. “D-Does that mean I might be able to kiss you again?”

Makoto nodded slowly. “It means that if you’re so inclined, you could kiss me again right now.”

“I just might have to take you up on that offer.” Haru leaned in close again and her lips met Makoto’s once more.


	2. Bruised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of the things they did in the Metaverse seemed unreal. Having a team member be legitimately injured made everything they were doing real. It wasn’t just a game of cops and robbers that they were playing on the playground. There was real danger involved. If they weren’t careful, someone could end up dead.

“Queen! Queen! Makoto, please wake up!”

Makoto grunted softly as she started to come to. Her whole body felt sore and worn out and her mouth was dry. She opened her eyes slowly only to find that her head was being cradled in Haru’s lap and her feet were in Ann’s. They were in the back seat of the Mona car that much she could tell. “H-Haru?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

“Oh thank God!” Haru exclaimed and scooped Makoto up, hugging her close. She nuzzled her face against Makoto’s and Makoto was surprised at how wet Haru’s face was. She must’ve really been crying. She lowered Makoto down again, hugging her tight to her chest. “She’s awake!”

There was a loud cheer from everybody else in the car in response.

“Wh-What happened?” Makoto asked in a low mumble. Haru was pretty much suffocating her but she wasn’t about to tell her to let go. Now that she was fully aware of her surroundings, it felt like her side was about to rip open or like it already had been. Haru was the only thing holding her somewhat steady in the bumpy car. The pain made her want to pass out, throw up, or both.

“You took a cheap shot,” Futaba explained from in front of them. She had turned around and leaned over the back of the bench seat. “It knocked you right down. No need to worry, though. Noir took care of that shadow no problem! She’s scary when she’s mad. Panther did the best she could to heal you up. Still, it was a lot of damage so you might not feel too great for a little while.”

Makoto nodded. She fidgeted with one of the large buttons on Haru’s shirt to distract herself from the pain somewhat. “I’m sorry to worry you.” They hit another bump and she gasped. Tears sprung into her eyes as she gripped onto Haru for dear life.

Haru held her tighter to try and keep her steady. “We’re just glad you’re okay,” Haru murmured. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “We’re almost out of Mementos. We figured we were done for the day.”

“That’s alright with me,” Ryuji said. “Fightin’s a bitch!”

Ann smacked him on the back of the head. “I don’t think you should be saying that right now. You didn’t almost die, idiot.”

“We should be reaching the top of Mementos any minute now,” Futaba said.

Makoto felt something wet drip onto her cheek. She glanced up to see Haru staring firmly out the window of the car. Tears were rolling freely down her cheeks.

 

“You didn’t have to walk me home, Haru,” Makoto murmured as they entered her apartment. All was quiet. Sae didn’t appear to be home.

Makoto was wincing with every step and she very much needed an escort home, but she wasn’t about to admit to that. A large, dark bruise had formed from right under her breast to the top of her hip and spread several inches across both her back and stomach. Along with that, her knuckles were covered in small scrapes that stung and she could tell at least a couple of her ribs were bruised, though she was seventy-five percent sure nothing was broken. Ren had set her up an appointment with a doctor the next day to check her over. She wasn’t sure how she was going to sleep much less go to school or the doctor.

Haru frowned and very gently touched Makoto’s side. Makoto had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out. “Oh, I didn’t, did I?” Haru said in a tone that was not meant to be argued with. “I want you to soak in the bath and then go to bed. Do you mind if I stay the night?”

Makoto sighed. “No… You don’t have to though.” Haru reached out her hand again and Makoto swiftly grabbed her wrist to stop her, although the fast movement probably hurt worse than what Haru was about to do. “I would love if you would stay the night.”

“That is what I thought you said,” Haru said. “Shower. Now.”

Makoto grumbled as she marched towards the shower. She’d never come out of the Metaverse so beat up before and it truly sucked. Bumps and bruises were par for the course but they rarely ever hurt or lasted more than twenty-four hours. This was just excessive, and she hoped it would clear up quickly.

Once they were both outside the shower, Makoto started to try and undress while Haru started the bath up. She lifted her arm about halfway up and found that it hurt to go any farther than that. She winced and bit her cheek again.

“Ask for help, you—” Haru ended her sentence with a snort to keep from saying anything too rude. She had just walked back out from starting the bath.

Though she was acting frustrated and rude, Makoto could tell she was clearly worried and shaken up. Makoto felt horrible knowing she’d made Haru worry about her. The rest of the group was also pretty shaken up from the experience. She couldn’t blame them. A lot of the things they did in the Metaverse seemed unreal. Having a team member be legitimately injured made everything they were doing real. It wasn’t just a game of cops and robbers that they were playing on the playground. There was real danger involved. If they weren’t careful, someone could end up dead.

Makoto had been unconscious for at least ten minutes. Haru had said they’d gotten her to the car as quickly as possible and then rushed out of Mementos. Makoto had no recollection of anything after they had started their fight with the shadow. She didn’t even remember the hit that had caused any of it. Haru had informed her it was probably for the best that she didn’t. It was rather gruesome.

Haru grabbed Makoto’s shirt and slowly lifted it up over her head. Makoto winced, but she had to admit it would’ve been a lot harder by herself. Haru pulled down her pants next and Makoto stepped out of them. Makoto noticed Haru was trying very hard to not make any eye contact with the bruise on her side. Haru stood again and reached around to unhook Makoto’s bra.

“W-Wait!” Makoto yelped.

Haru pulled her hands away. “Did I hurt you?!”

Makoto blushed. “N-No… I just… I don’t want you to see me… naked like this.”

Haru shook her head, bewildered. “Is now really the time to be bashful, Mako-chan?”

Makoto made a soft noise of discomfort. “Please just let me have one shred of dignity left after all of this.”

“For goodness sake…” Haru sighed and grabbed a towel. She held it up over Makoto’s chest. “Hold this up over yourself.”

Makoto grabbed the edge of the towel and clutched it close to herself. It was at least something, even though it wasn’t going to do much of anything. “Thank you.”

Haru nodded in response then unhooked Makoto’s bra. She maneuvered it off, working around Makoto holding the towel up. Then she took Makoto’s underwear off. Makoto shivered both from the chilly air of the apartment and the fact that Haru had just undressed her, although it wasn’t exactly sexy when one of them had a giant bruise covering half their body and the other was a mess that was trying desperately to not act like it.

“Do you need help getting into the bath?” Haru asked gently.

“You should come along just in case,” Makoto answered with a slight nod of her head.

Haru gently guided her into the shower and held onto her arm while she climbed into the tub. Slowly but surely Makoto was lowered down into the water. Haru had looked away as to not see Makoto naked as she had requested. Once Makoto was settled, Haru walked to the door.

“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes,” Haru said. “Is there anything, in particular, you’d like to wear to bed?”

“I think something loose will be best. Thank you, Haru.”

Haru left the shower in a hurry.

Makoto leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Everything hurt terribly. She could even feel pain in her toes, though she wasn’t sure why they would be hurting. The water was at least making her feel better even if it wasn’t relieving any of her pain. She took a mental inventory of all the painkillers that they had in the house. She knew she could work out a schedule to rotate between two medications to keep her on something around the clock. Though, starting a strict regimen of painkillers would be risky. If her sister noticed that a ton had been used, well, Makoto would have some explaining to do. Even so, she would have to do something about the pain and not taking anything wasn’t going to cut it.

Fifteen minutes dragged by. Makoto did her best to stay awake for all of them but found herself drifting in and out of actual consciousness, although she wasn’t sure she’d actually fallen asleep. Lying still in the tub had eased some of her pain, but she knew it would return as soon as she tried to get up again.

Haru entered the room with a fresh towel in her arms. She had changed into the school’s gym t-shirt and shorts. She tiptoed over to the tub, trying to keep her gaze averted.

“Are you ready to come out?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Makoto mumbled back. She gripped the side of the tub to pull herself up into a better sitting position and winced. “Goddamn…”

Haru grabbed her arm and helped lift her up onto her feet. Makoto cried out in pain, the first real noise of pain she’d allowed herself to make. Haru’s grip tightened on Makoto’s bicep to stop herself from shaking. She gingerly wrapped the towel around Makoto’s upper body.

“Haru, you’re crying,” Makoto said softly.

Haru turned away quickly, wiping at her face. “S-Sorry… I’m so sorry.” More tears rolled down her cheeks and she wiped them away again. “I’m so sorry, Mako-chan. I’m sorry. I don’t want to cry. I’m sorry.”

Makoto grabbed onto Haru’s shirt gently. “It’s okay, Haru. You don’t have to be strong for me.”

Haru sniffled. She turned to Makoto, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with the heel of her palms. “I was terrified in Mementos,” she murmured. “I was afraid I’d lost you. I was afraid I’d lost… the one person I truly love in this world. You’re my best friend, Mako-chan. I thought… I’d lost you before I could tell you how I really feel.”

Makoto tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Haru’s tears started with new vigor. “I-I love you, Makoto. I love you more than anything else in my life. If you had-had… hadn’t made it, what was I going to tell your sister? Or anyone else.” Haru sunk to the floor, her face buried in her hands. She was trembling and didn’t seem able to stop. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t do more. I couldn’t protect the one thing I love. Please forgive me.”

Makoto stared at her in shock. That was a lot to take in. It wasn’t like Makoto was rolling in love confessions followed immediately by confessions of guilt. She patted the top of Haru’s head gently. “Maybe we should continue this in my room,” she said with a good-natured smile. “The pain in my side is actually killing me and I don’t really want to tell you I like you back while I’m naked.”

 

Makoto was finally tucked into bed. Getting changed had been a process and a half but she’d managed to get into her pajamas. Now she’d happily taken painkillers and set up alarms to start her rotation of medication. She would figure out what she was going to do for school in the morning. If anything, she could call herself in sick. Haru was in bed beside her, a nervous expression on her face.

“I said it was fine, Haru,” Makoto murmured. “You can sleep in my bed with me tonight.” She wanted to talk with Haru more, but she was beginning to feel the exhaustion of the day and wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold out. Her eyes were already starting to fall closed.

Haru blushed brightly. “I know!” She let out a soft sigh. “You said… you liked me back?”

Makoto smiled, though her eyes were already closed and she looked like she was asleep. “Mhmm… I… love you too.” There was a long pause of silence. “In like a gay way,” she added. Her voice was filled to the brim with sleepiness.

“I love you in a gay way,” Haru said with a giggle and tears in her eyes.

“Please… don’t blame yourself for what happened,” Makoto said. Her words were starting to slur together. “It wasn’t your fault.” She reached out and found Haru’s face. Gently, her hand moved to the back of Haru’s neck and she tugged her forward.

“M-Makoto, what are you—mm?”

Haru was cut off when Makoto’s lips met hers in a soft kiss. It was sloppily executed and Makoto could barely hold herself up. Haru had definitely had better kisses in her life, but this was certainly the most important one she’d ever received. She leaned forward more to meet Makoto.

Makoto pulled away. She laughed. “That was… nice. I should’ve asked first. ‘M… tired.”

Haru wrapped her arms around Makoto as gingerly as she could and pulled Makoto into a tight hug. “That’s alright. Go to sleep, darling.” Haru felt Makoto’s body finally relax and knew the other girl had drifted off to sleep.


	3. What Happens In The Metaverse Stays In The Metaverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Johanna’s fast,” Makoto murmured. “You are too.” 
> 
> Haru blushed. She looked away and exhaled sharply. “That’s… not very charming of you to say, Queen. And you were doing so well too.” She shook her head. “Besides, I have to put my foot down somewhere. Mementos is definitely a no. I couldn’t possibly begin to comprehend what would happen if we were to do something… unwholesome here.”

“—WAY THE WORLD STOPPED MIDMOTION!”

Haru covered her ears. Ryuji was screaming a song at the top of his lungs while Futaba and Ann joined in with him. Not a single one of them was actually any good at singing. Ryuji had to be the worst and, of course, he was the one being the loudest. It was times like these when the Mona bus truly felt like a tiny tin can. If the window opened wide enough where she could jump out of the moving car, she would almost consider it.

Beside her, Makoto didn’t seem any more impressed. She had quite the scowl on her face, one that made Haru nervous. She had crossed her arms and was tapping her fingers impatiently on her bicep. Haru could only wonder what murderous thoughts were going through her head.

Cautiously, Haru reached out a hand and rested it on Makoto’s thigh. Makoto glanced over curiously. Haru smiled and gave Makoto’s thigh a gentle squeeze. Makoto’s jaw relaxed and the tension left her shoulders. Haru sighed. Makoto had relaxed somewhat but the singing still continued to reverberate off of the walls.

“Shadow!” Ren called from the front seat. “Hang on everyone!”

Just like that the team was in the midst of a battle. It was short-lived, the enemy being a weakling type. _What a waste of time_ , Haru thought. She leaned back on her axe and wiped her hands on her pants. Morgana shifting back into his bus form caught her eye and she watched for a moment. She sighed. She really didn’t want to get back on the bus. Futaba was the first one to board followed closely by Yusuke and then Ann, Ren, and—

She felt a hand brush around her waist and she straightened up with a sharp inhale. Suddenly, Makoto’s arm was fastened around her waist and her mouth was close to her ear. Haru shivered. She was afraid of Makoto’s strength and combat training in the real world; the Metaverse only amplified it tenfold.

“If I get back on that bus, I’m going to lose my mind,” Makoto whispered to her. “Why don’t we take our own ride? What do you say, Noir?” The way Makoto purred ‘Noir’ made Haru melt against her; her eyes closed for a brief moment as she entertained the idea of turning her head slightly and kissing Makoto. Makoto’s arm tightened on her waist.

Haru opened her mouth then closed it again. Makoto hadn’t left her with much room to say no. “And by ‘ride,’ what are you implying exactly?” she asked offhandedly. She fiddled with the handle of her axe. “I wouldn’t say the screams of the damned are much of a turn on for me personally.”

Makoto smiled. “Isn’t that a little lewd for you to say?” Her hand left Haru’s waist and gently trailed up her spine making Haru shiver once more.

“Yo, lesbians!” Ryuji called from the door of the Mona bus. “If you’re done flirtin’, are you gettin’ on or nah? We don’t have all day!”

Haru straightened up with a squeak of surprise. It was always so easy to get caught up in Makoto’s flirting. “I-I think we are going to take Johanna,” she said, trying to sound casual. It was a lot harder than she would’ve imagined; Makoto was being quite distracting. Makoto’s fingers were rubbing circles in the small of her back and it felt amazing.

Ren’s head popped out of the doorway. He seemed to have a more knowing look than Ryuji did and Haru tried to not react. She was thankful that a mask hid most of her face. “If you two want to go by yourselves, that’s fine by me. Just keep in touch with Oracle and try not to fall behind.”

Makoto nodded and made an okay sign with her fingers. “Roger that.”

Ren nodded and said nothing else. He ducked back onto the bus. Ryuji waved at them and called, “Careful out there, ladies!”

Haru waved as she watched the Mona bus drive away. Once it was out of sight, she sprung out of Makoto’s grasp and pointed her axe at her.

“Hasty,” Makoto murmured. She gently knocked her hand against the flat surface of the blade and Haru let it drop. “At least you don’t have to listen to the worst idol group I’ve ever heard anymore.”

Haru rolled her eyes, leaning against her axe once more. “You don’t need to tease me so much, you know. I’m already your girlfriend and the rest of the group already thinks we’re gross.”

Makoto laughed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s true.” Haru let out a soft sigh. “We shouldn’t dawdle too long. Joker said not to fall behind.”

Makoto grabbed Haru’s hand and laced their fingers together. She pulled Haru against her. Haru swallowed as she looked up at Makoto. Both of them smelled like sweat and the strange scent of shadow blood. Makoto leaned in close as if to kiss Haru, but pulled up short just to taunt her. Haru felt a warmth spread through her body as she pressed herself tighter against Makoto.

“Johanna’s fast,” Makoto murmured. “You are too.”

Haru blushed. She looked away and exhaled sharply. “That’s… not very charming of you to say, Queen. And you were doing so well, too.” She shook her head. “Besides, I have to put my foot down somewhere. Mementos is definitely a no. I couldn’t possibly begin to comprehend what would happen if we were to do something… unwholesome here.”

“Fine, fine,” Makoto said pulling away slightly. “Maybe just a kiss then?”

Haru rolled her eyes. “I can do that if it’ll sate you.” She reached forward and put her hand behind Makoto’s head to drag her in for a kiss. Makoto moved with her willingly and they met in the middle.

Haru couldn’t stop herself from melting into Makoto’s arms when they tightened around her. She couldn’t stop herself from letting out a soft moan when one of Makoto’s hands shifted down to cup her butt. She could’ve stopped herself from tangling her hands in the mess of Makoto’s hair. She could’ve stopped herself from deepening the kiss, her tongue slipping into Makoto’s mouth and vice versa. But she didn’t. And everything happened so suddenly. Then, before her brain had fully caught up with the moment, she was being scooped up into Makoto’s arms and wrapping her legs around Makoto’s waist. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the Haru that had some sensibility was screaming at them to stop.

 

“It’s been ten minutes and I haven’t seen or heard from you two,” Futaba’s voice rang in their ears. “Are you dead? Joker’s gonna be pissed if you’re dead so you better not be!”

Haru pulled away from their kiss, sitting up. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. Somewhere along the line, she and Makoto had ended up on the ground and she was sitting in Makoto's lap, pressing her against the wall. “Do you want to answer that or shall I?”

“Answer what?” Makoto asked. She sounded dazed.

Haru slapped a hand to her face and dragged it downward. It would take years of scientific research to truly understand what she found so incredibly irresistible about Makoto. “We’re just fine,” she responded to nothing in particular. She really hoped that Futaba hadn’t been listening in on anything that had happened earlier. “And we’re very much alive. We just caught a few… snags.”

“I’m sure it was a big snag,” Ann said with a knowing tone.

Haru sighed inwardly. Did she have no self-control? She knew Makoto didn’t, but she had always figured herself to be at least a little bit better. “Yes… I’m sorry. We can rendezvous with you soon.”

Makoto smiled up at her. “I’m sorry. We should probably get going, huh?”

“You’re horrible, you know. Just horrible.”

Makoto’s smile widened. “You say that, but you’re the one on top of me.”

Haru got up with a huff. “Summon Johanna already.”

Makoto climbed to her feet and grabbed the edge of her mask. “There is one truly nice thing about being a persona user.”

“And what’s that?”

“Your girlfriend always thinks you’re attractive when you summon your persona.” Makoto ripped her mask off and was surrounded in blue flame. When the dazzling light dissipated, she was on top of Johanna. “Come on. Let’s get going.”

Haru jumped on behind Makoto and wrapped her arms around her waist tightly. She rested her forehead against Makoto’s back. “When we get home, you’re going to pay for this.”

“I was really hoping you’d say that.” Makoto revved the engine then took off top speed down the tracks.


	4. Welcome to the Ballroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “She can’t dance,” Haru said. Her tone was more matter-of-fact than rude even if what she was saying was rude. “She’s offbeat and she has two left feet. The one time I did let her lead, she nearly broke my foot. Even when I am leading, she’s still stepping on me. I think I should lead. I know what I’m doing.”

Makoto entered the dance studio, her bag hung over her shoulder. Ballroom dance wasn’t exactly her first choice of afterschool activity; however, it was right next to the building where she practiced aikido and anything that kept her out of the house longer was a godsend. The class started promptly after her aikido lesson, and she figured the class would be more good than bad for her.

She had only found out about the class accidentally a short while ago. Her aikido lesson had ended early and she was loitering outside the building, wondering if it would be best to go home then or to stop by Big Bang Burger and grab something to eat. Either way, she was going to have takeout dinner so it was more or less a matter of if she wanted to eat then or later. If she chose later, she was at the mercy of whatever her sister wanted for dinner. As she picked her bag up off the ground having decided she would just go eat, she saw a woman walking down the street towards her.

She was taller than Makoto, but she was wearing heels. A long, white fur coat billowed around her underneath which she was wearing all black. Her long red hair was pulled up into a ponytail and side-swept bangs covered half of her face. Makoto couldn’t help but be awestruck by her, her mouth hanging open slightly as she watched. She was clearly a force to be reckoned with and held an air of importance. 

The woman looked her up and down as she passed by. Makoto didn’t mean to be staring and blushed brightly with embarrassment as her eyes quickly moved down to her feet. Under the woman’s sharp gaze, Makoto’s heart started to pound in her chest. She hoped the woman hadn't really noticed her staring or, if she did, that she wasn't going to say anything about it. The woman took a few steps past her, stopped, and then turned back towards her.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” the woman asked.

Makoto shook her head quickly, her whole body heating up with embarrassment. “No, no. I don’t know you. I’m very sorry.”

“I feel like I have seen you before, though,” the woman pressed. “Would that be a possibility?”

“It very well could be. I, uh… attend aikido lessons right here.” Makoto jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the building then immediately felt dumb for doing so.

The woman looked at the building then looked over her shoulder at the building beside it. She seemed to be pondering something, though Makoto couldn’t guess what that could be. Makoto opened her mouth to say she was going to get going as the embarrassment from the whole situation was about to kill her, but the woman spoke up suddenly, “Have you ever taken up ballroom dancing?”

Makoto blinked in surprise. Her mouth was still hanging open from almost saying something. The question took her off guard and it took her a moment to finally respond. “I have never done any dancing.”

The woman frowned thoughtfully. “Well, I hold ballroom dance classes in this studio right here. I’ve had a couple of dropouts recently and I need a few extra hands so all my students have partners. Is there any way I could convince you to attend?”

Makoto couldn’t help but let her jaw drop again. Ballroom dance? That was definitely a weird one for her. Really any kind of dancing would've been weird for her. She didn’t seem like she was very much built for ballroom dance either. She was only slightly taller than average and aikido had made her more stocky than lean. “I… uh…”

“I’m sorry to offer so suddenly. You would just be a perfect partner since you could fill a male or female role easily. I would assume you’re fairly strong.”

“I am, yeah…”

“Classes are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I expect my students to attend at least three of the four, but four is ideal. Would you be able to attend a schedule like that?”

“I do aikido Monday through Friday,” Makoto said. “So… I could attend after practice. Can I drop in today to see what it’s about?”

The woman nodded. “I’m Mitsuru Kirijo, by the way,” she said with a slight bow. “I hope that you have fun in our class.”

From then on Makoto had started to attend classes regularly. She even went on Saturdays as it was just something to spend her time doing. She found it more engaging than studying and it kept her active which was better for her mind anyway. Studying tended to make her dwell on topics she preferred to not think about. What Makoto hadn’t accounted for was the fact that she was paired with the class’s most difficult student. Mitsuru had failed to mention that their first meeting when she said some of her students needed partners.

Haru Okumura was the heiress to the Okumura Foods industry. Her father was a cutthroat businessman with little care for others and he had used that to claw his way into making Okumura Foods a household name. Haru had been dancing in Mitsuru's class for quite some time now and she was a revolving door of partners. It seemed anybody who was paired with her wouldn't last more than two weeks of being her partner—some could barely last a single class. She was strict and had little patience for poor dancing. Even good partners didn't seem to be good enough for her. Makoto was starting to get to her breaking point with Haru as well.

Makoto was the first one to class once again. She tended to be as she was just next door to the building. She went over and dropped her bag off along the far wall. She sat against the wall and watched Mitsuru shed her coat off.

Mitsuru was wearing tight workout clothing and her hair was pulled up just like the first time Makoto met her. She moved elegantly across the floor, her arms out as she danced with a partner that wasn’t there. She hummed quietly as she moved, her eyes closed as she remembered the steps. Makoto couldn’t pull her eyes away from her. She didn’t see the other woman enter the room and sit down beside her.

“Hello,” the new woman said. She had shorter light brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. She was wearing an outfit similar to Mitsuru’s but it was in a soft pink and lavender color palette. Makoto had only seen her a few times. She ran the studio with Mitsuru but seemed to do more of the grunt work and behind the scenes things. She rarely ever danced, but Makoto thought she was near the same level as Mitsuru. Her name was Yukari Takeba.

Makoto jumped slightly, caught off guard by the newcomer. “Oh! Hello, Takeba-san.”

Yukari smiled brightly and bumped her shoulder against Makoto's. “So, how has dancing with Haru-chan been treating you?”

Makoto tried to not make a disgruntled face. She didn’t really want to answer that question. Haru was difficult to work with. Despite Mitsuru insisting that Makoto lead, Haru would not let her. Makoto was fine with that as she could barely dance anyway. However, Mitsuru would yell at the pair every class saying Makoto needed to lead. Then Haru would huff and not say anything. Things were just awkward from then on. This same scene played out every class and would probably happen again that day.

“Takeba, don’t scare Niijima-kun away. I finally found a new student who hasn’t dropped Okumura-san after their first two weeks,” Mitsuru said sharply.

Yukari made a sour face and stuck her tongue out. “When are you going to call me by my first name?”

Mitsuru gave her a coy smile. “When I'm ready.”

The door opened and Makoto spotted Haru entering the studio. Despite Haru’s less than ideal attitude around dancing, Makoto found her incredibly charming and beautiful. That was half the reason she stuck around with Haru. Haru was passionate about something and when she wasn't scolding Makoto, Makoto could tell that she was gentle underneath it all. Haru also had some of the prettiest eyes that Makoto had ever seen. Some of the reason Makoto had been picking up dancing so slowly was because Haru making her feel some sort of way. Haru gave her two left feet and her palms were always sweaty—something that Haru complained about often. Maybe if she didn’t find her partner so alluring she could actually lead the dance.

Haru came over and dropped her bag off. She held out her hand to Makoto. “Are you ready to start?”

Makoto blinked in surprise. “Class hasn’t started yet…”

“You’re here and I’m here. The class has started,” Haru said pointedly.

Makoto sighed and took Haru’s hand only to be jerked to her feet and pulled into a waltz. She could feel Mitsuru’s eyes boring holes into them as they danced across the floor. Haru was leading once again. Makoto wondered why it even mattered who led. Haru was much better than her by miles. Haru should be leading. It was much easier to let Haru lead the dance too. She knew where to go and when. Makoto just had to remember to follow along and not get distracted by Haru’s beautiful eyes.

“Ow!” Haru yelped. She stopped the dance, nearly throwing Makoto to the floor. “My foot. You did it again!”

“I-I’m s-sorry,” Makoto stammered.

“Let Niijima-kun lead,” Mitsuru finally called over and Makoto let out a sigh. “She needs to lead.”

Haru turned to face Mitsuru, her hands on her hips. “She can’t dance,” Haru said. Her tone was more matter-of-fact than rude even if what she was saying was rude. “She’s offbeat and she has two left feet. The one time I did let her lead, she nearly broke my foot. Even when I am leading, she’s still stepping on me. I think I should lead. I know what I’m doing.”

By now the other students were beginning to trickle in. None of them paid any attention. It wasn't like this scene was anything to behold. They got to see this very same show every time class was in session. Makoto felt embarrassed nonetheless. Haru was still locking eyes with Mitsuru across the room. Both of them looked incredibly scary and Makoto wasn't about to get in the middle of their fight.

“Haru-chan,” Yukari said, finally standing up from the floor, “I think we should remind you why Mitsuru wants Mako-chan to lead.” She dusted her pants off and took Mitsuru’s hand gently. “Why don’t we show these two what a good dance looks like, no?”

Mitsuru nodded. She pulled Yukari tight to her and the two started to dance fluidly across the room. Makoto had always thought that Mitsuru was a lovely dancer by herself, but the two of them were incredible together. Their movements were in sync and Makoto was completely mesmerized. Even Haru had lost her edgy attitude as she watched the two move across the floor. It seemed the rest of the class, although not quite sure what was going on, had also been enraptured by their instructors. The room was quiet aside from the soft pattering of footsteps as the two danced.

Mitsuru ended the dance dipping Yukari. Yukari seemed surprised by this as her hand clawed at Mitsuru’s shoulder as if she was afraid she might be dropped. The two stared at each other, panting. Makoto felt her heart skip. She wanted Haru to look at her like that. She wasn’t sure why, but she absolutely did.

Yukari straightened up first and went over to Haru. She took Haru’s hands gently in hers before casting a glance back at Mitsuru. She smiled at Haru. “You want to dance like that, Mako-chan should lead.”

Haru’s pout returned but less intensely. “Fine…”

The rest of class was long and grueling. Haru was working Makoto like a horse. She was trying to be polite as she tried to teach Makoto the steps, but Makoto could tell she was irritated, to say the least. Every other minute she would stop them and make them start over. Mitsuru and Yukari would only pass by occasionally to check on them, but other than that the two of them were not about to save Makoto from her fate.

However, Makoto was actually having some fun. Not getting yelled at by Mitsuru had lifted her spirits a bit and the hard work made her feel more like she was doing aikido than ballroom dancing. It was more familiar to her and she could feel herself picking up the steps as they started once more from the top. Plus, she could handle Haru’s scolding. Haru was just a rich girl with a perfectionist side. Makoto didn’t mind that kind of thing. Her sister was very similar so she was used to it.

When class finally ended, Makoto collapsed next to her bag. She chugged the rest of her water bottle, some of it dribbling out the side of her mouth. She was beat, her feet starting to get sore from being on them for the last couple hours both from aikido and dance lessons. She was ready to go home and soak in the bath. It was going to feel amazing on her tired body.

Haru stood in front of her. She wasn’t exactly looking at Makoto, but more at the ground right beside her. She tapped her foot and crossed her arms. Makoto tilted her head slightly. It looked as if Haru had something to say but didn’t want to come out and say it.

“What is it?” Makoto asked pleasantly.

“Can we practice more?” Haru muttered.

Makoto stared up at her. “Um? What?”

Haru blushed. “I’m aware practice is over… we’re very close to getting this down though.”

Makoto sighed. This was the most sincere thing that Haru had ever said to her. “Um, I don’t think we can stay here to practice.”

Haru’s blush deepened and her hands balled into fists at her sides. It was strange, but Makoto had a feeling that Haru was embarrassed about something. She never would’ve pegged Haru as one to get embarrassed about anything. “Then… let’s go to my house,” Haru said quietly. She added after a beat, “Please.”

“What?”

And then somehow Makoto found herself walking into Haru’s mansion-like apartment. Makoto knew that Haru had quite a bit of money, but this was more than she imagined it would be. Of course, Makoto didn't have much perspective of what money looked like. Her sister had a good job, but even so, the two of them stayed in an apartment that was just big enough for the two of them to live comfortably. As Makoto gawked at the inside of the building, Haru just laughed it off and continued onward. Makoto could see why she didn’t necessarily want to invite anyone over. It was hard to explain that you lived in a house that looked like this.

She was led down several hallways until they entered a small door that looked like it led into a closet. To Makoto’s amazement, it led into a small dance studio. It certainly wasn’t the size of Mitsuru’s, but it was still much bigger than Makoto could ever imagine having in a normal house. Makoto walked in, dropping her bag down by the door and walking over to the wall of mirrors. There was a long bar on the far wall that wasn’t a feature in Mitsuru’s studio.

Haru set her bag down next to Makoto’s and watched Makoto take in the room. She rubbed her arm awkwardly. Makoto wondered if Haru had ever invited over a guest before. “I used to have private ballet lessons," Haru murmured, "but I don’t really anymore. Anyway, let’s practice.” She sprung into the middle of the floor, seemingly getting over whatever embarrassment she was feeling, and extended her hand to Makoto.

Makoto took her hand and brought her other around to rest on Haru’s waist. She sucked in a breath. It had just occurred to her that she was alone with Haru somewhere that nobody knew they were there. Her palms were starting to get sweatier than normal. Makoto began their dance to pull her thoughts out of whatever pit they were starting to fall into.

Makoto could only hold out another thirty minutes before she collapsed on the floor by the wall. Her legs were starting to shake with exertion. She had reached the point where she wasn’t sure she could do any more physical activity and make it home. She took a long drink from her water bottle and watched Haru over the top of it.

Haru didn’t seem to be in much better condition. She was panting in the middle of the room, her hands resting on her hips as she attempted to catch her breath. She looked up at the ceiling and took in several long breaths. Makoto could see she was dripping with sweat and her face looked tired. She looked over at Makoto and tried to smile.

“Come on, Niijima-san,” Haru said, holding out her hand. “Let’s go a little more.”

Makoto shook her head. “Absolutely not. You’re struggling to keep yourself up. I still have to go home after this.”

“Please,” Haru pleaded. “You’re so close. Don’t you want this?”

Makoto crossed her arms. “Not really. I’m only paired with you because you’re impossible to work with and Mitsuru-sensei needed someone to dance with you.”

Haru’s face flushed from shock and anger. “That’s not…”

“Yes, it is. I didn’t even really want to do ballroom dancing. I only do it because it keeps me away from my house longer when I don’t want to go home. It’s better than eating at Big Bang Burger every night after aikido.”

Haru looked away. “Then… why are you still dancing with me if I’m so impossible to work with?”

Makoto looked up at her a blush creeping up her neck. “Oh… well… I…”

“Is it because I’m an Okumura? You thought you could get close to me and use me or something?” Haru turned away, wiping quickly at her eyes. “That’s disgusting… Not that I’m not used to it.”

“What? No!” Makoto bounced to her feet and made her way over to Haru. She gently touched Haru’s shoulder, not sure of how else to comfort her. “No that’s not why…”

“Then what?” Haru said sharply.

Makoto bit her bottom lip as she tried to come up with what to say next. “You’re… really pretty and I… like to watch you dance.”

Haru looked at her with her mouth open slightly. “Wh-what?”

“Y-You know!” Makoto said quickly. “I… Well, you just, you know, you do ballet to warm up sometimes. I-It’s really elegant and stuff. I don’t know…”

Haru guided Makoto over to the wall and sat her down. She plopped down beside her ungracefully. Their shoulders were brushing. She sighed heavily. “I know that I’m not easy to work with,” she murmured. “I want this dance to be… amazing. I met Mitsuru-sensei about a year ago. I saw her dance with Yukari-sensei at one of my father’s events. The two of them… they’re both so beautiful when they dance. They’ve won awards, you know. I want to dance like them.”

Makoto nodded. She could at least understand that aspect of it. Mitsuru and Yukari were incredible to watch. “I do too. I’m sorry for saying you’re impossible to work with and that’s the only reason Mitsuru-sensei stuck me with you.”

Haru sighed. “I’m sorry for how I’ve been treating you. What you said is true and I needed to hear it, even if you didn’t mean to say it.”

Makoto smiled and bumped her shoulder against Haru’s. “There are no hard feelings, okay? We will dance like our teachers! Just maybe not today… I don’t think I can get up. My legs are shaky.”

Haru laughed and Makoto felt her heart melt. It was the first genuine laugh that Makoto had ever heard from her. Makoto chuckled along with her until suddenly Haru leaned up against her. Makoto felt a gentle fluttering in her chest. Haru took her hand and laced their fingers together. They sat like that, quiet for a moment.

“I’ll take you home,” Haru said quietly, breaking the silence. “And I can buy you dinner on the way.”

“Th-that sounds lovely.”

Makoto wasn’t sure why, but the way that Haru had just spoken to her made her both shiver and made her heart pound. It had taken a few weeks but it seemed she’d finally broken the ice with Haru.


	5. Morning Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru could smell the coffee on her skin now. It was faint but fragrant. She breathed deeply as her skin started to tingle with Makoto’s kisses. She ran her hands through Makoto’s hair, pulling on it gently. She heard Makoto make a small noise and smiled.

It had been a while since Haru had been invited to Makoto’s dorm room, probably a month but no more than two. They’d met up outside many times but they hadn’t had a quiet intimate moment in what felt like a long time. As Haru made her way to the room in question, she was practically drooling over the thought of Makoto’s touch. She felt like a dog waiting to be fed as she slowly took the stairs as not to draw too much attention to herself.

The path to Makoto’s room was engraved into her brain. She could probably find it with her eyes closed. Today especially, she knew she’d make it there in no time. Her palms were sweating and her heart was racing by the time she made it to the doorway. She checked down both ends the hallway before carefully knocking on the door twice, pausing a moment, and then adding a third and final knock.

Makoto opened the door and smiled broadly. She hadn’t bothered to get dressed up; it was just her girlfriend coming over for a lazy afternoon. She wore a baggy t-shirt and her gym shorts from her old high school. Her hair was sticking out in all directions and Haru couldn’t help but reach out to try and smooth it into place.

Makoto ducked away from her hand with a small laugh. “I wouldn’t bother. It’s just going to get messy again. Come on in.” She stood to the side and gestured into the room.

Haru pushed through the doorway with little hesitation and set her things down on the floor. She did a quick spin to take in the contents of the room. Makoto had tidied up a bit before she’d come over that much she could tell. Her desk, which usually was full of study materials, was at least visible. The floor was clear and the bed, although a little pointlessly, had been made. Haru climbed up into the loft bed without waiting for Makoto to tell her to.

Makoto stood on her toes to help her see over the edge of the bed. “Do you want anything?”

“Besides you?” Haru purred as she ran her hands through Makoto’s hair.

Makoto laughed and knocked Haru’s hands away. “Yes, yes. Besides me. I could get you something to drink.”

“I’m alright. Thank you though.”

Makoto climbed up into bed and practically lied on top of Haru. There wasn’t much space to work with up on the bed. Haru didn’t mind though. It was really what she wanted. Makoto’s familiar weight was pressing her down into the bed and making her feel at ease. Her pulse had picked up exponentially. She felt calm but everything inside her was on fire. For once her head couldn’t be clearer as her heart fluttered and felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Makoto’s hands slipped underneath her shirt making her gasp quietly as Makoto’s warmth met her skin. She cupped Makoto’s face in her hands and kissed her hungrily.

Makoto tasted like instant coffee. It was definitely something very cheap, probably from the convenience store just down the road. It was just like Makoto liked it, full of cream and sugar with little bitterness. Haru savored it. She liked a little more bite to her coffee but still found Makoto’s tastes pleasant.

Haru pulled Makoto squarely on top of her and wrapped her legs around Makoto’s waist to pull her tight. Makoto made a soft noise of surprise but didn’t move away. Instead, she started to kiss Haru harder and a little too eagerly with her tongue.

Haru pushed her off with a laugh. She planted her feet against the ceiling and rocked Makoto slowly back and forth between her legs. “Too much tongue, darling,” Haru said gently as she caressed the side of Makoto’s face. “Also, you drank coffee right before I came over? I’m not complaining, but you could’ve at least waited and offered me some before we got down to business.”

“You seemed eager,” Makoto said simply. “And if you recall, I did ask if you wanted anything. Besides, some of it is residual coffee from waking up fairly early.”

Haru made a disgusted face. “You haven’t brushed your teeth since when?”

“Last night.”

Haru covered Makoto’s mouth and clicked her tongue. “Gross,” she pouted.

Makoto wrestled Haru’s hand away from her face and pinned them beside Haru’s head. Haru’s knees squeezed tighter on Makoto’s sides. She looked up at Makoto through half-lidded eyes. She smiled sweetly and tilted her chin up slightly, exposing her neck for Makoto. Makoto leaned down and started to kiss Haru’s jaw and neck, letting her kisses linger a moment longer than needed.

Haru could smell the coffee on her skin now. It was faint but fragrant. She breathed deeply as her skin started to tingle with Makoto’s kisses. She ran her hands through Makoto’s hair, pulling on it gently. She heard Makoto make a small noise and she smiled.

Makoto pulled up and Haru’s shirt came off. Makoto peppered kisses all over Haru’s neck, chest, and stomach. Haru made soft noises, her hands holding tight to Makoto’s hair. She shifted involuntarily as the ecstasy grew inside of her. Makoto’s mouth moved low on her stomach. Haru let out a short moan, her breath cutting off before she could fully finish it. She guided Makoto back up towards her chest.

“Mako-chan,” Haru murmured.

Makoto looked up from the valley of Haru’s breasts. She had a somewhat dopey look on her face that melted Haru's heart. 

“Hm?” Makoto murmured.

“I… love you a lot,” Haru said as she cupped Makoto’s face in her hands. “I love you so much.”

She ran one of her hands through Makoto’s hair, petting her gently. Makoto made a soft noise and grabbed the hand that was still cupping her face. She kissed Haru’s fingers, leaving long kisses on each one.

Haru hummed softly. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Giving you as many kisses as I possibly can anywhere I can.” Makoto kissed down Haru's palm and then to her wrist.

Haru giggled as a small shiver ran down her spine. “You’re so sweet. Can we cuddle?”

Makoto nodded and the two shifted so they were both lying on their sides. Makoto kept her head in Haru’s chest and Haru wrapped her arms around Makoto’s head to hold her close. It gave Makoto ample room to kiss Haru’s shoulder and bicep. Haru let out a soft sigh.

They lied like that for a while. Haru ran her fingers through Makoto’s hair as Makoto talked softly about why she was up early. Apparently, she was both studying for a test as well as making sure her room was clean enough. Her roommate had left early as well to go out, which Makoto didn’t mind but it had woken her up when she hadn't really intended to be up.

“How long is your roommate going to be out?” Haru asked.

“She said that she was going to be out late. She was going to hang out with two of her friends in their dorm. I think she said something about getting ramen for dinner with them.”

“So we… have plenty of time?”

“Absolutely.”

Haru kissed the top of Makoto’s head. “Then let’s take it slow.” She rolled on top of Makoto and started to kiss her again.


	6. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m Haru Okumura. You remember, right, Niijima-san? You used to sit in front of me. So this is what happened to Makoto Niijima. She’s buying flowers for her boyfriend. Fiancé maybe even! Oh, how exciting.” Haru giddily clapped her hands together and she stepped closer to Makoto again.

Haru was moving some of the potted plants around in her shop. She’d just opened up for the day and it was probably going to be a while before she saw any real customers. She started most of her mornings this way, rearranging the shop to what she thought looked better and putting out the new stock from the morning. She could never really decide on what was the best way for all the plants to look around the shop, although she also wasn't sure anyone ever noticed.

As she was pulling a heavy pot across the floor, the bell above her door jingled. She glanced up and her, “Welcome,” was delayed when she saw the woman who had just entered.

The woman was wearing a loose, white button-up shirt, straight, blue pants, and suspenders. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a small, tight ponytail; it was held mostly together with bobby pins as her hair didn’t seem quite long enough to actually be pulled back. She walked into the shop with her hands shoved deeply into her pockets and she looked around like she was lost. Haru had a weird feeling she knew this woman, but couldn’t quite place her.

Haru cleared her throat and tried her welcome again. “Welcome. Do you need any help?” Haru greeted pleasantly.

The woman looked over and Haru thought her face looked a little redder than it had before. “O-Oh,” she murmured. “I’m alright. Just… looking.”

Haru smiled. There were plenty of girls who had no idea about flowers or flower arrangements so it wasn’t a strange response. This girl, in particular, seemed a little bit rough around the edges and shy. She had probably never stepped inside of a flower shop before. Haru gave her a slight bow. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

The woman nodded and went back to browsing the wall of flowers. Haru only let her gaze linger for a moment before she turned to continue pulling the heavy pot across the floor. She grunted softly with the exertion of moving it. Why she’d ever decided to stock a small tree, she wasn’t sure. They were more of a pain in the ass than they were worth. Suddenly the pot shifted forward as she tugged it and she fell backward onto her butt.

“Ow,” she mumbled and she rubbed her back. She looked up to see the woman leaning over her.

“I’m sorry,” the woman said. “I thought you could use a little help. I should’ve… offered.” She extended her hand out and Haru took it gently. She pulled Haru to her feet again.

Haru stared at the woman for a long moment. There was no doubt she knew her face. She just couldn’t seem to place it. “Th-thank you,” Haru said. 

The woman looked away awkwardly, her cheeks flushed. She took a small step away from Haru as if she was embarrassed to be so close to her. Haru looked the woman over once more before it finally clicked.

Haru’s mouth fell open. “Niijima-san!” she said, hitting the flat of her fist against her palm. “We went to high school together!”

The woman blinked in surprise. “N-No kidding,” she said rather awkwardly. “What are the odds?”

“I’m Haru Okumura. You remember, right, Niijima-san? You used to sit in front of me. So this is what happened to Makoto Niijima. She’s buying flowers for her boyfriend. Fiancé maybe even! Oh, how exciting.” Haru giddily clapped her hands together and she stepped closer to Makoto again.

Makoto’s eyes widened and she put her hands up to distance herself from Haru. “B-Boyfriend? I-I don’t… No that’s not—”

“Oh please you don’t have to be bashful,” Haru said with a wink. “I can help you pick out some flowers.” She turned on her heel and started towards the wall of flowers.

“W-wait, Okumura-san,” Makoto said, grabbing Haru’s arm before she could get very far, “that’s not why I’m here.” She dropped Haru’s arm quickly and looked away.

Haru tilted her head to the side. “Then…?”

“I knew you worked here,” Makoto said with a sigh. “I came to… see you…”

“Oh?” Haru looked even more confused. “We weren’t really friends though. Why did you come to see me?”

Makoto looked like she was ready to tear her hair out with embarrassment. “I know that… I was just… I remembered in high school that you…” She paused and clenched her fists. It seemed like whatever she had to say was hard to get out. “Do you want to go get coffee with me?”

Haru’s eyebrows rose and her cheeks flushed. “Oh? Oh! Oh…” As the realization set in, she looked down at her feet. Now she understood Makoto’s intentions of coming there. It was true that she had dated a girl briefly in high school. She was still very much good friends with her as well. It hadn’t worked out, but Haru did still like girls. She'd even gone on a couple dates. Nothing had stuck and she was currently single, but being asked out by an old classmate definitely was a weird one.

“I’m sorry,” Makoto said quickly. “That’s… dumb of me. Ugh, I’m sorry. I’ll just go.”

“N-No,” Haru said. “Um… I have to work… But I get out at six. I’ll give you my contact information.”

Makoto stared at her with her mouth agape. “O-Okay.” She fumbled her phone out of her pocket and the two exchanged information.

Haru smiled as she watched her leave. So, Makoto Niijima, huh? She definitely wasn’t the girl that Haru saw herself going on a date with years after high school. Makoto wasn’t even a girl Haru would’ve imagined as liking girls, although Makoto didn’t date in high school. Haru had always put that down as her being the student council president. Still… Makoto had always been charming and Haru had thought she was attractive. The few times she had spoken to Makoto had been pleasant ones and she did admire Makoto's hardworking personality. She'd at least give Makoto a shot if nothing else. Haru felt her heart flutter a bit thinking about it. She hadn’t felt that in a while. She smiled to herself.

Promptly at six just as Haru was getting ready to close the shop down, she saw Makoto walking quickly down the street. She was still wearing the same outfit she had been in earlier and her hands were shoved in her pockets as she walked. Haru gave her a wave and a smile as she pulled the sign out front towards the door.

Makoto waved back at her awkwardly. She had a smile on her face but she seemed uncomfortable. Haru felt a wave of tender feelings wash over her. Makoto seemed like a sweetheart. Haru wasn’t sure about girlfriend material, but she was more than willing to take Makoto under her wing as a fellow woman who liked other women.

Makoto pulled up beside her and gave her a much less awkward smile. “D-Do you need help?” she asked, her voice hitching in the beginning.

Haru shook her head. “Not at all. I’m just going to put this inside,”—she gestured to the sign—, “but you’re welcome to join me.”

Makoto nodded and held the door open for Haru as she awkwardly maneuvered the large sandwich board through the door. She locked the door behind them and Makoto gave her a cautiously curious look. 

“Are we not going to leave this way?”

“We’ll use the back entrance. Also, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get changed into something just slightly more befitting of a date. Not that I don’t love my work smock, I would just prefer to not be covered in soil.”

Makoto had seemed to be thrown off by the word date but recovered quickly. “Yes, of course. We can… stop by your place.”

Haru giggled. “I live right upstairs. This is my place.”

“O-Oh… Oh.”

“Follow me.”

Haru led the way through the back door of the store that led into an office-like space. There was a bathroom tucked back there as well as what appeared to be a small break area. To the right was what looked like a refrigerated storage closet and on the left side of the room was another door that was propped open with stairs on the other side. Haru took the stairs quickly up to the second floor that led into a landing with a single door in it. Haru went inside and brought Makoto along with her. She smiled at Makoto’s surprised face of seeing a fully furnished apartment upstairs. 

“I’ll be right back. Wait here,” Haru said as she kicked off her shoes and rushed into her bedroom.

She had thought a bit about what she wanted to wear while she was working. She pulled out a pleated, red skirt to wear with a black button-up blouse. It wasn’t anything terribly fancy, but she figured her first date didn’t need to be. Plus, Haru had just gotten out of work and it wasn’t like she had a ton of time to make herself up. The finishing touch was pinning back the hair on one side of her head behind her ear. She looked herself over in the mirror. It would have to do.

She rejoined Makoto at the door and slipped back into her shoes. “I’m all set!”

Makoto’s mouth hung open and her eyes widened as she took in Haru. “Y-You look very nice!” she complimented. “N-Not that you didn’t look nice before. You look nice now and you looked nice then. Y-You just… You look very nice…”

Haru giggled. “Are you nervous?”

“What would give you that idea?”

So she could still make a joke. That was a good sign. Haru took Makoto’s hand gently. “We’re just getting coffee. If it helps, just imagine that we’re coworkers who just got a little dressed up to go out. Nothing weird about that.”

Makoto let out a deep breath and Haru pulled her along on their way. Back outside they started on their way towards the cafe Makoto had wanted to visit. The walk was silent and Haru was afraid she'd broken Makoto. Either that or Makoto was more nervous than Haru had originally thought. It did seem to be her first attempt at dating a woman. Haru could understand why she was nervous.  

Finally, Makoto spoke up. “I’m new to this,” she said quietly. “I don’t even know if I like women really.”

“Are you using me to test the waters?”

“Using you is a strong phrase but…” Makoto sighed. “I’m sorry. You could say no still. I’ll walk you back if you want.”

Haru shook her head. “You’re stuck with me for the rest of the evening, unfortunately. And paying the bill.” She shot Makoto a wry smile and Makoto gave her an awkward one in return.

“Y-You’re definitely more… um… pushy than I remember. You used to be very quiet in high school.”

Haru nodded. “More freedom and my own financial stability can do that to a girl. I’m not too pushy, am I?” She looked up at Makoto with wide eyes.

“No, no," Makoto said quickly. "I’m okay with it! Um... I was just noting it.”

Haru smiled and laughed quietly. “Don’t be so quick to give yourself over.”

Makoto made a soft, “Mmm,” sound that wasn’t meant to really be a response but more indicative that she was stumbling over herself in this conversation.

Haru paused. She was just being playful and flirty, but she seemed to be losing Makoto along the way. _Niijima-san must not be used to this sort of thing_ , she thought. _She did say she was new to this. Maybe she just meant she was new overall to dating as well as being new to liking women_. Haru was going to have to try a different approach to settle her companion if she wanted this date to be successful.

“So what made you chose me then?” Haru asked pleasantly. 

“Oh um… I was always kind of fond of you in high school even if we didn’t talk much. I saw you working at the flower shop recently… I’ve been kind of confused lately and I remembered you dated a girl in high school. I was… curious about it.”

Haru nodded along slowly. “I understand. Well, you caught me on a good day and I’ll be your willing guinea pig. However, don’t think you can toy with other girls so easily.”

Makoto blushed brightly. “I-I’m not toying… I genuinely think I do like women. But… it’s… hard.”

Haru smiled at her. “That’s what I wanted to hear. So what is Makoto Niijima up to these days? Our charming student council president should be up to only the best things, I presume.”

Makoto looked down at the ground. “Oh yeah… I’m… a very, very, very low ranking detective. Long nights and a lot of home phone calls are my life right now.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.”

Makoto sighed. “Not really. I just do a lot of paperwork.”

“Oh paperwork isn’t all bad,” Haru said trying to sound cheery. “Even I have to do paperwork.”

“Flower shop owner sounds much more fun than a pencil pusher.”

“You’re not very happy with where you’re at?”

Makoto shrugged. “It is what it is, unfortunately. I wouldn’t say I’m happy or sad honestly. I’m very neutral about most things in my life.”

“So this date?”

Makoto blushed. “Oh… Well, that’s… different.”

Haru couldn’t help but smile. Their conversation faded in and out as they walked along. Makoto wasn't the best at holding a conversation it seemed. She would let it lull and the silence would drift around them for a moment until one of them thought of something else to say. Haru felt it was okay for now. She was still very much aware of how nervous Makoto was and she didn't want to push her too hard.

Finally, they made it to the café. Makoto ordered a plain black coffee and held out her hand for Haru to order. Haru ordered the same with a slice of cheesecake to eat with it. Makoto gave her a curious look but didn't say anything.

“I love cheesecake,” Haru murmured. “And eating a slice in the evening with some coffee is just…” She trailed off and waved her hand in the air. “You’re welcome to share it. You are paying after all.”

Makoto gave Haru a soft smile. Haru smiled back as their conversation continued. Makoto wasn’t very big on talking about herself and let Haru talk mostly. Haru didn’t mind. She had plenty to talk about running a small business. What she did manage to gather was Makoto wasn’t very happy with herself or her life. It seemed that her job wasn’t exactly what she’d hoped it would be and her love life was nonexistent because she was fairly certain she liked women. Of course, it was much harder to find a partner with that little obstacle. Although Makoto swore she wasn’t sad or lonely, Haru could tell both of those were the case. 

“Would you like to come over to my house after this?” Haru asked as she finished off the last bite of the cheesecake. It had been delicious and even Makoto complimented it.

“Oh… I should be getting home.”

“I won’t force you,” Haru said, “but I thought I’d throw it out there. At the very least, would you like to walk me home?”

“Certainly.”

It was quiet on their walk home. Haru wasn’t sure what to say anymore. She’d done her best to flirt with Makoto but Makoto just seemed lost by most of the conversation. It wasn’t like Haru was the greatest at flirting but she considered herself to be decent. And she couldn’t even win over this lovesick girl. Maybe Makoto wasn’t gay after all and had either not found the right guy or just didn’t get those feelings.

They stood outside the backdoor to the flower shop. “Thank you for the evening,” Haru said pleasantly. “I hope you have fun.”

Makoto nodded. “I did…”

“Do you want a kiss?” 

Makoto blushed. “I-I wasn’t going to ask… I, um…”

“It’s okay, Niijima-san. I wouldn’t force you.” Haru rested her hand on Makoto’s shoulder. “Did any of this clear things up for you?”

Makoto looked at Haru’s hand then at Haru. “I’m not sure. B-But… about… the kiss…”

“You do want one?”

“M-Maybe… Just one. Quick. Nothing weird. I, um… please.”

Haru smiled and pecked Makoto gently on the cheek. “If you want more, I’m going to have to get to know you better.”

“S-So does that mean a second date?”

“If you want one.”

“T-Tomorrow?”

Haru laughed. “Eager. Alright. Tomorrow. Same time?”

Makoto nodded. “Please.”

“Alright then. Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Haru ducked through the backdoor and rushed up to her apartment. 

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she had won over Makoto. That look in Makoto’s eyes after she’d kissed her cheek was definitely more than friendly. Haru sighed and leaned against her door. She hadn’t come away from that first date unscathed either. Makoto had won her over.


	7. Winter Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto had almost forgotten about them. There was absolutely no telling when any of them would return from the mountain. Even so, she desperately wanted to get a little cozy with Haru. It wouldn't hurt to just kiss a little either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyyyyyy sorry this is like. SEVERAL. days late lmaoooo. work and the cold and also using what little creative energy i do have atm for other projects just left this on the back burner. esp because i was also out of inspiration for it. but here's the last chapter. i hope it's not too awful aha. anyway enjoy.

Makoto sat at the top of the mountain. She'd already watched the rest of her friends go down the easy course without her. Surprisingly, they could all either snowboard or ski, which had shocked her. Ann and Haru she understood; they were rich and skiing and snowboarding just seemed like skills rich people had. Ann was proficient at both. Haru was better at skiing but could hold her own on a snowboard. She could see how Ryuji was good at snowboarding. That seemed like a very Ryuji sport and she could see him somehow finding time to learn and get good at it. She also lumped Ren into that category except with skiing. For Yusuke, she was completely lost as to where he'd learned to ski. He didn't seem the type. Lastly, Futaba was just... How could a shut-in possibly be capable of snowboarding so well?!

She sighed and scooped up a handful of snow. This was the second time the group had all gotten together after the new school year. It was hard to get the whole group together and the only person she saw regularly was Haru, only for the fact they were dating. They'd managed to meet up over the summer and were now together over their winter break. It was nice seeing the younger members finishing out their final year in high school; or, in Futaba's case, starting it. For the most part, the summer beach resort trip had been a pleasant experience. This, however, wasn't exactly the mood she was going for.

She sat for a moment longer before she felt a gentle tap on her back. Haru had come up beside her and smiled brightly down at her. Makoto gave her a small smile back, although it was easy to see she was only smiling for Haru's sake. It wasn't like she was having the time of her life or anything so she couldn't help that her smile felt a bit fake.

"How are you doing, Mako-chan?" Haru asked lightly. "Are you absolutely sure you don't want to try skiing? I would feel a lot better teaching you that."

Makoto let out a huff. She was being difficult only because the group had decided on a trip she didn't particularly want to be on. Unfortunately, she was really only giving Haru a hard time, which Makoto knew she didn't really deserve. At the same time, Makoto wanted to learn to snowboard rather than ski and she was sticking firmly to that.

"I'm fine," Makoto responded finally. "I want to learn this. It's fine if Ann teaches me."

"Ann says Ryuji can help you too if you don't mind. I just don't think my skills are good enough to try and teach you. I'm very sorry about that."

Makoto shook her head and waved her hand. "That's alright. Thank you, Haru. Please, go have fun."

Haru gave her another light smile and went off again. 

Makoto sat a while longer before Ann and Ryuji pulled up beside her. The two of them nearly knocked into each other as neither was paying attention to the other it seemed. Through her facemask, Makoto heard Ann yell a muffled, "Watch where you're going, idiot!" to Ryuji. Ryuji responded by throwing his hands up and then looking over at Makoto.

"Hello, we're gonna be your teachers for the afternoon!" he said just as loud as ever. "We hope we can make this a fun experience for you."

Makoto rolled her eyes, but underneath her hat and goggles, she was pretty sure the other two couldn't see her do it. She was lifted to her feet by them and Ryuji very quickly explained the basics. As she started down the mountain, it didn't take long for her to fall on her butt. It didn't take long for the second time either. Or the third. Or the fourth. After the fifth, she stopped counting.

Makoto had made it to the bottom of the mountain several times now. Haru was waiting at the bottom as she teetered down as slow as possible with Ann and Ryuji hovering on either side of her. She managed to skid herself to a slow stop and then fall promptly on her butt. She saw Haru giggle and then make her way over to her.

"I'm not having very much fun," Makoto complained. "My butt is sore and I'm cold."

Haru nodded. "I'll go back with you to the cabin. I'm pretty chilly myself." She looked up at Ann and Ryuji. "It seems everyone else is still having a good time. Please let them know we headed back, but none of you need to hurry back. Enjoy yourselves." 

The two gave her a thumbs up and made their way back to the ski lift. Makoto figured they'd spent enough time with her on the kiddie course and wanted to play on the big kid slopes now. It's where everyone else was playing anyway. Makoto sighed. 

After Haru helped her back to her feet and they returned their rented gear, Haru and Makoto made their way back to the cabin that Haru had rented for them to stay in. It was a private cabin on the resort grounds that was tucked a bit away from the main ski lodge area. It overlooked a large forest off the side of the mountain and Makoto couldn't complain about that. Even if she wasn't having the most fun with the actual skiing portion of their ski trip, she could at least appreciate their lodgings.

"Would you like me to make something warm to drink?" Haru asked as the two shed their heavy winter clothing at the door. "Your choice of what it is."

"Hot chocolate, maybe?" Makoto offered "That would be nice."

Haru was the first to wiggle out of her clothes and she jumped into the threshold of the house. "I'll get it started!" she chirped before skipping off towards the kitchen.

Makoto watched her with a small smile. Her and Haru had never lived together, but Makoto couldn't imagine it being anything other than pleasant. Haru was loving and cared for Makoto more than Makoto thought she deserved. She didn't think that the two would move in together any time soon, but a girl could dream. She finally managed to pull off her boots and stumble after Haru into the kitchen.

Haru was humming as she turned on an electric kettle to boil water. She noticed Makoto out of the corner of her eye and shot her a brief smile before returning to her work. She set up mugs and got the hot chocolate mix ready before leaning against the counter and giving Makoto an inviting look.

Makoto hovered in the doorway a moment longer before crossing the kitchen and leaning heavily against Haru. Haru wrapped her arms around Makoto's waist while Makoto rested her head against Haru's shoulder. Haru patted Makoto's head gently and made a soft noise of sympathy.

"You're going to live, darling," Haru murmured. "I hope you don't hate anyone for this."

Makoto grunted softly. "I will live... I'm just being whiny, I know."

Haru chuckled. "That's alright. I did see you fall a lot of times. I can appreciate you not wanting to do any more today."

Makoto let out another grunt. "Ugh, please don't bring it up. I'm a failure."

"Don't beat yourself up. It was your first time. Everybody else didn't get that good overnight you know." Haru hugged Makoto tightly and took a deep breath. She felt Makoto take one as well, mimicking her. She smiled. "We can relax by ourselves until everyone returns."

Makoto turned her head and gently kissed Haru's neck. Haru let out a small gasp and gripped onto Makoto's shirt tightly. Makoto continued to kiss up her neck until she met her mouth. Haru moaned softly as their mouths met and she pressed her hand against Makoto's shoulder. The kiss only lasted a brief moment as the kettle started to whistle before they could get very far.

Haru turned away, her face bright red. She tended to the kettle all the while accentuating her movements for Makoto. It was her own subtle way of flirting that Makoto had come to appreciate greatly. It wasn't exactly much of anything to behold, and if one wasn't privy, they would miss it. But Makoto had trained herself to notice it. The slow motion of Haru's hand stirring the hot chocolate in the mug while her sleeve tugged up exposing just a little bit of skin at her wrist. The way she stood so that her butt was put out just a little farther than it needed to be. The slight shift of her weight from one foot to the other because she knew Makoto was watching. Makoto savored it.

Haru turned back to her, two mugs in her hands now. "Where shall we drink?"

"Would it be crude to say bedroom?" Makoto asked as her pulse picked up. She could already feel herself sweating and a hot drink was only going to make it worse.

Haru laughed. "Not at all, although I'm not sure about your intentions."

"Nothing you don't want," Makoto assured her, "but some kissing would be nice. We don't get to be secluded in a lodge drinking hot chocolate very often."

Haru raised an eyebrow. "You say as if there isn't a group of unruly teenagers just waiting to barge in on us."

Makoto had almost forgotten about them. There was absolutely no telling when any of them would return from the mountain. Even so, she desperately wanted to get a little cozy with Haru. It wouldn't hurt to just kiss a little either. As that thought crossed her mind, she knew better. Kissing usually led to something a little more than kissing, at least in their case. It wasn't often they just kissed. 

Haru had already started towards the bedroom and Makoto followed after her. Haru did have a bit more impulse control so perhaps she wouldn't get too wrapped up in things. Though that wasn't really a given either. Haru was generally the one who wanted to go a bit farther. So while she did have the impulse control to stop when they needed to, it wasn't like she was going to necessarily stop them from going that far in the first place.

They entered the bedroom and climbed into the bed. Makoto set her hot chocolate aside not even taking a sip while Haru relaxed against the headboard with her mug cradled in her hands. Makoto scooted closer to her and ran her hand up Haru's thigh. Haru's eyebrows raised and she gave Makoto a smile.

"Is it okay if I kiss...?" Makoto gestured awkwardly to Haru's stomach. She always felt weird trying to put her desires into words but she knew her being awkward for a few moments was better than Haru being uncomfortable. 

Haru nodded. "That's fine. Go ahead." She held her mug up a bit higher while Makoto moved to lie in her lap. Haru spread her legs so Makoto was in between them and she squeezed her knees against Makoto's sides. 

Makoto smiled before lifting Haru's shirt up and exposing her stomach. Makoto started to kiss her gently, testing the waters of what Haru was willing to give her. Haru was keeping her best straight face as she scrolled through her phone in one hand and sipped her hot chocolate in the other. Makoto let her mouth drift a bit farther down to the waistband of Haru's pants. She watched closely as Haru bit her lip and her eyelids fluttered. More telling was her hips pushing upward slightly into Makoto.

Makoto's kisses continued to sit close to the waistband of Haru's pants. She hooked her fingers in it and tugged it down just enough for her to get kisses even lower. Haru made a soft noise and set her hot chocolate down. She hooked her finger underneath Makoto's chin and pulled her up. The two made eye contact and Haru gave Makoto a stern look.

"Sorry," Makoto murmured. Maybe she had been right about Haru keeping them from getting anywhere after all.

Haru ran her hand gently through Makoto's hair and smiled. She set her hot chocolate aside and lifted her shirt up to her chin without taking it off. Makoto made a happy noise and started to kiss Haru with more vigor than before. She kissed up and down Haru's body sometimes leaving behind a small mark. Haru seemed much more engaged now. She wasn't making much noise as the two were trying to be quiet, but she let herself make one or two whenever Makoto did something particularly well. Her hands roamed up and down Makoto's back as far as they could reach. They tangled in her hair and their nails dug into her shoulders. Makoto was in heaven.

Haru grabbed Makoto by the chin and made her look up. She looked away when their eyes met and her face flushed. "It would be a bad idea to do more than this," she murmured. She ran a hand nervously through Makoto's hair and took in a deep breath. "We really shouldn't. Everyone else could be back at any moment." She took in another long breath as Makoto turned her head slightly to put Haru's fingers in her mouth and kiss them. "Mako-chan, you're not being very fair here. I want to just as much as you do, but we can't..."

Makoto continued to stay quiet as Haru went back and forth with herself. She focused on a small section of Haru's stomach just below her breasts. She didn't want to be too distracting while Haru weighed the pros and cons out loud, but she was putting in her own opinion by being just a little annoying. 

"Maybe just something quick," Haru murmured sounding pained. "There's no fun in that though. If I just knew how much time we have, it would make this decision a little bit easier."

Makoto rested her head on Haru's stomach. "The longer you debate about it, the less time we assuredly have. If you want to, we can. If you don't, we won't."

"It's less about if I want to and more about if we should. I want to..." She made a soft noise as Makoto started kissing her again. "I also really don't want to get caught doing anything we shouldn't."

"Do you think everybody already thinks that's why we both left?"

Haru blinked in surprise. "Oh... I hadn't thought about that. That wasn't our intention though! You were just cold and upset and I didn't want you to be stuck out there any longer. I also wasn't about to send you back by yourself to be sad in the cabin."

Makoto laughed. "I know that." She shrugged. 

Haru sighed. "You're probably right though." 

"We're back!" Ann's voice called from outside. The rest of the gang also called in their hellos.

Makoto looked at the door. "Time's up. We'll both just have to live." She sat up and grabbed her now lukewarm hot chocolate to take a sip and appear somewhat normal.

Haru fixed her shirt with a disgruntled sigh. But she was happy that the choice had been made for her. She picked her phone back up and tried to pretend like she wasn't just having Makoto kiss her up and down.

Ann opened the door after a brief knock and smiled at the two. "I see you two are relaxing. We were going to watch movies and play games now if you want to join. I know Makoto didn't have the best time outside so she can pick something to watch if she wants."

Makoto perked up. "I get to choose the movie?"

Ann nodded. "Yep! Group decision."

Makoto climbed out of bed and disappeared out of the room. Haru chuckled to herself before climbing out of bed and following suit.


End file.
